


Venite Adoremus

by bunnyofnegativeeuphoria



Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: M/M, USS Secret Santa 2014, captain-cas-of-uss-tardis, mckirk - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-25
Updated: 2014-12-25
Packaged: 2018-03-03 14:18:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,152
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2853887
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bunnyofnegativeeuphoria/pseuds/bunnyofnegativeeuphoria
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Oh Come Let Us Adore Him</p><p> </p><p>To: Doctor Leonard H. McCoy, CMO – USS Enterprise, NCC-1701</p><p>From: Your secret admirer.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Oh Come All Ye Faithful

**Author's Note:**

  * For [captain-cas-of-uss-tardis](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=captain-cas-of-uss-tardis).



> Hello everyone!
> 
> This is my (a little late due to a major brainwave of mine that just didn't want to let go until now) contribution to omegabones and the McKirk community's USS Secret Santa. 
> 
> My gift fic is for the wonderful captain-cas-of-uss-tardis :)
> 
> Happy Christmas y'all!

_Starfleet Academy - Stardate 2259.358_

San Francisco was alive. The scent of baked goods and hot beverages of questionable alcohol content filled the air. There was dancing in the square. The general ambience of the city was one of a knitted blanket, and Christmas lights hummed to the rhythm of _We Wish You a Merry Christmas._ But shining best and brightest of them all was Jim Kirk.

 

“Isn’t it beautiful, Bones?”

 

The pride of the Starfleet Academy Union Square was the frankly, in Leonard’s mind, obnoxiously large Christmas tree that currently occupied its centre. The decorations, however, brought back memories of Mama McCoy’s gingerbread, and a houseful of cousins and various extended family. And there was snow - lots of it. Fully a foot had fallen, thanks to the Vulcan Science Academy’s on-going project of generating snow via atmospheric controls. The Soval Atmospheric Manipulator, according to a certain First Officer’s perfectly reasonable argument, was only logical as it gave the VSA the perfect opportunity to first examine its effects upon a population who were rarely accustomed to snow (the people of San Francisco), before exposing it to an entire race who rarely experience temperatures below sixty-five point four degrees Standard (the Vulcans). Jim argued that the Vulcans were just too excited about snow to wait. Leonard was inclined to agree. The tree was an annual tradition, but with the addition of snow, they were standing in the middle of a Winter Wonderland.

 

“Bones? Isn’t it pretty?” He looked at Jim.

 

“That it is, kid. Mighty pretty.” _Like you_. The glow of the square in the San Franciscan evening seemed to originate from Jim. If he wanted to, Leonard could count Jim’s breaths by the number of clouds he exhaled. He wanted to know what it was like to feel that breath on his skin, plump lips pressed against his neck.

 

“So,” Jim’s feet shuffled in the snow.

 

“So?”

 

“How’s your secret admirer?”

 

~*~

_USS Enterprise – Stardate 2259.305_

Leonard McCoy was surrounded by children. Leonard McCoy; ex-husband, father of one, writer of countless medical articles, CMO of Starfleet’s pride and joy, and current (and probably perpetual) babysitter of it’s captain, was surrounded by infants in Starfleet-clothing. _There should be a time-out corner for goddamn gossipers._ It was November 30th and the refurbished _Enterprise_ was about a month into it’s test-run (only, Scotty liked to refer to it as a new honeymoon voyage, and the bridge crew had unanimously agreed to not question him about it). When Spock eventually (inevitably) asked him about it, Scotty had garbled something in thick Scottish and waved his hands frantically before disappearing into the Engineering deck. He was seen about a week later looking entirely too pleased with himself, and even Spock let the matter be with a simple ‘fascinating’.

A group of nurses passed by his office, took one look at him, and burst out into uncontrollable, high-pitched giggling.

 

Leonard sighed.

 

At seven hundred hours, Leonard had exited his quarters to pick up the biggest infant of them all on his way to the officer’s mess. Only, he had stumbled ( _and nearly broken his damn nose_ ) over a package ( _goddamn hazard_ ) left outside his door ( _by some goddamn moron_ ). Rubbing his nose, he ripped the red wrapping paper off, getting gold glitter on his blue uniform in the process. It was an advent calendar. An honest-to-god-home-made- _Enterprise-_ shaped advent calendar. He turned it over. On the back it read,

 

 _To:_ Doctor Leonard H. McCoy, CMO – USS Enterprise, NCC-1701

 

 _From:_ Your secret admirer.

 

Leonard stared.

 

“Bones!”

 

Leonard grumbled.

 

“Sorry, Bones. I didn’t quite catch that. Want to try again?”

 

“I have a goddamn secret admirer! Jim!”

 

“What? You can’t blame me this time.”

 

“I can damn well try!”

 

“Boooones! It’s not my fault you’re God’s gift to everyone.” Leonard scowled. “Okay. C’mon, take that with you and let’s get breakfast.”

 

“Absolutely not. I’ve gotta put this back in my quarters first. Can’t go traipsing around the corridors like Valentine’s Day has come early.”

 

“No time, Bones.”

 

“But, Jim–” But Jim was already dragging him down the hallway. As they arrived in the officer’s mess, Jim let go of him and said,

 

“By the way, Bones – gold suits you.” He winked and led the way to where Uhura and Spock were sitting. Bones looked down and remembered the glitter.

 

“Goddamnit Jim!”

 

Leonard was surrounded by children. The advent calendar was the current culprit of his day. Rumours of the grumpy CMO’s secret admirer had travelled down the grapevine faster than Jack had slid down his beanstalk pursued by a giant ( _and if he was really resorting to that kind of analogy he really needed his fifth cup of coffee_ ).

The advent calendar had sat, untouched, on his desk the entire day. Leonard glared at it. Making a decision, he located the number one (Sick-bay) and tore away the card.

 

 _I love you_.

 

Well.

 

Leonard looked around. His staff were all at their appropriate stations, and if Christine Chapel had a smugger grin on her face than normal he chose to ignore it. He scoffed and returned to his work. It was Sunday, but there was no rest for the wicked aboard a constitution class starship. As the hours counted down to Gamma shift, he couldn’t help his eyes straying to the calendar, lovingly painted in the shape of his home.

 

~*~

 

_Starfleet Academy - Stardate 2259.358_

 

“I haven’t heard anything from them,” Leonard shrugged.

 

“Oh.”

 

“Thank God.”

 

“Oh?” Jim seemed to deflate a little. Leonard frowned.

 

“Oh what?”

 

“Nothing. Just – why, I mean, don’t you want to know who they are?”

 

“Well, yes and no. I guess I _would_ like to thank them.”

 

~*~

_USS Enterprise – Stardate 2259. 341_

Spock would have given him a good dressing down (not that he’d ever let him) if he ever found out how slow Leonard was on the uptake. When he stumbled upon another wrapped present on the Sunday following the arrival of the advent calendar, he realised that this spiel would in all likelihood follow him until the twenty-fourth.

 

The advent calendar had proven to be as unusual in content as it was on the outside. For a week (at first against his will, until he decided to just resign himself to his own curiosity) Leonard had dutifully paired his fifth cup of coffee with whatever the calendar decided to reveal for hm. For a week, Leonard had read little messages like; ‘Black, one sugar’ (his preferred cup of coffee); ‘caramel syrup on Sundays’ (his Sunday indulgence that he had told no one of except Jim who must have tattle told on him because he often indulges in the behavioural pattern of a pre-schooler); ‘key lime pie’ (his favourite comfort food); a picture of Joanna (he had nearly cried at that one, before he got suspicious and spent over three hours bothering Cupcake in Security to see if he was being stalked – Jim had called him a paranoid bastard, but Leonard had just cuffed his ear and booted him out of his quarters. The fact that Jim was still laughing in the hallway afterwards did absolutely _not_ make his stomach feel funny); the instructions ‘look under your office chair’, where he found a well-loved copy of Harper Lee’s _To Kill a Mockingbird_ ; and finally, today, the words ‘Knock-knock’. It had not been his proudest moment when he, back in his quarters, had stared dumbly at the words before saying the usual ‘who’s there’ to an empty room.

 

For about an hour, Leonard had looked around his quarters in search of something. He didn’t know exactly what it was, but he assumed it would be inside red and gold wrapping paper. He also assumed that his endeavour would result in another day of being covered in the gold stuff and subject to the hilarious (not) comments of his fellow crew members if he and Jim hadn’t mixed their uniforms up when they rolled out of bed that morning like the married couple everyone knew they were. Jim would just laugh, and Leonard would provide the audience with his customary grumble. Deep inside, though, he would attempt to squash the nagging feeling of want, before distracting himself with Jim’s beaming smile (before deciding _that_ was an even worse idea and excusing himself to his office to cool down). He almost kicked himself when he finally had the brilliant idea of looking outside his door (again, not his finest moment, and another instant worthy of Spock’s condescending brow of logic).

 

There it was. The red package. The gold detail. For the first time, Leonard noticed how the glitter seemed to form random stars and constellations on the red backdrop. _Great, I’ve been walking around with stardust on my uniform_. Jim’s sparkling eyes came to mind, but Leonard brushed it away. _Good God, man. Sparkling. Really. That kid’s had an influence on you._ Leonard shook his head and unwrapped the present. Inside was a PADD. Frowning, he walked back into his quarters and turned it on. The screen lit up with the message,

 

_Hello, Doctor. For your enjoyment your secret admirer has presents you with the following selection (and a reminder that he has left non-regulation alcohol in the Chief Engineer’s possession for you to collect upon your own discretion, but also with the reminder that the Chief Engineer’s current possession of said alcohol is not a guarantee of it’s volume upon retrieval):_

Following was a library of films, most of them twenty or twenty-first century. These included: _The Shawshank Redemption, Forrest Gump, Harry Potter_ (all eight of them), _A Christmas Carol,_ and _The Help._ He considered the PADD for a moment, crossed to his doorway, and pressed the comm.

 

“Captain James Tiberius Awesomface here.”

 

“Okay Captain Cheerful, would you like to join me in my quarters in ten minutes?”

 

“Sure. Why?”

 

“I’ve got my Sunday present. Want some company to look through it.”

 

“Sure, Bones. See you in ten!”

 

“Oh, and wunderkind,” there was giggling on the other end (Leonard smiled), “stop off at Scotty’s and ask him if he has some booze in his possession with my name on it. If he says no you should wrestle him for it. Or withhold sandwiches – doctor’s orders.”

 

“You’re evil, Bones.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“I love y- it. Okay, see you in a bit!”

 

Leonard sat down on his bed and waited. He looked at his present and thought of Jim. When Jim arrived (ten minutes later – booze in hand) and they had snuggled under Leonard’s covers, PADD balanced on their knees like teenagers on a sleepover, Leonard leaned his head on Jim’s. As Jim buried his face in Leonard’s arm, trying in vain to hold off his laughter and snorting ‘poo-pie’, Leonard wished he’d never leave.

 

_Screw the secret admirer. My adoration is for one man, and one man only._

 

~*~

_Starfleet Academy - Stardate 2259.358_

 

“The gifts have been really thoughtful. Whoever they are they have obviously put a lot of effort into it,” he continued.

 

“As they should,” Jim grumbled.

 

“What? You jealous that you don’t have one?” Jim’s face did something complicated before he settled on a snort.

 

“No, not exactly. But?”

 

“But?”

 

“You said yes _and_ no. Why don’t you want to meet them?”

 

Leonard hesitated. Thanks to the Soval Manipulator snow was falling gently from the sky. Some of it glittered in Jim’s hair. He watched as Jim blinked away a stray snowflake. He looked lovely. Leonard’s stomach ached, but he wasn’t hungry.

 

~*~

_USS Enterprise – Stardate 2259. 348_

“I had a pony when I was little.”

 

They were sitting on the couch in Jim’s quarters (“C’mon, Bones – my quarters are bigger!” “Size isn’t everything, Jim.” “We’ll, you’d know.” “Infant. Honestly.”), each nursing a glass of decidedly non-regulation Baileys and vodka. Spock would probably have a fit, Leonard mused.

 

“Really?”

 

“Yeah. Don’t look at me like that, Bones! I may not be an ol’ Southern Doctor like yourself,” Leonard snorted, “but Mom put me on a Shetland when I was three, and if I hadn’t stumbled my way into Starfleet I might have liked to keep a stable or something.”

 

Leonard smiled, “I can actually see that.”

 

“Anyway, she wasn’t actually a pony – she was a mix between a quarter horse and whatever it was that had jumped the paddock fence in the summer of 2227. Her name was Wonder, short for Wonderlust.”

 

“Pretentious child, were you?”

 

“Shut up.” Leonard shoved him and lay on top of him on the sofa, digging his elbow in slightly more than necessary. Jim didn’t move. “I was, actually,” he continued sheepishly, “and I’d read that word in the dictionary Mom gave me when she put me in the quiet corner.” Leonard snuffled into Jim’s overly large sweater.

 

“What did you do?”

 

“I punched Sam.”

 

“What? I thought you and Sam liked each other?”

 

“We get along fine, and Aurelan is smashing–”

 

“Smashing, Jim, really?”

 

Jim glared.

 

“Yeah. Sam told me that Santa didn’t exist, and I punched him. I didn’t get it then, but when I told Mom what I wanted to name her, my pony, Wonderlust–”

 

“Wanderlust.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Isn’t it with an ‘a’?”

 

“Stop interrupting. It is with an ‘a’, but I spelled her name wrong on the name card in the stable and Mom found it adorable.” Leonard sniggered. Jim glared some more, “her choice of words. Anyway, she smiled at me and let me out of the corner.”

 

“That’s a nice story, Jim.”

 

“Yeah. She lived up to her name, too. I had so many awesome outings with her. One time, I tried to steal some apples from my neighbour’s tree, and she stood completely still and let me stand on her rump to reach a big, red one. I even tried running away from home when I was eleven. She stayed with me the entire week. I didn’t even have to tie her up.” Jim paused, shifting Leonard around before settling his legs on either side of Leonard’s body.

 

“And then?”

 

“I got injured, knocked my head on a boulder, and disoriented. I climbed onto her, and she walked me home. I didn’t even touch the reins. She just knew.” Leonard poked his chin into Jim’s chest and looked at him. Jim was smiling softly at him. “My little Wonder.”

 

Leonard tugged a little on his jumper.

 

“What’s the story, Bones?”

 

“Hmm?”

 

“Your sweater. I haven’t seen you wear it before. In fact, I’ve never seen you wear knitwear before.”

 

“Yeah. It was in my quarters this morning. Damn wrapping paper got glitter everywhere.”

 

“Was it your secret admirer?”

 

“Shut up. Probably.”

 

“Do you like it?”

 

Leonard smoothed his hand down the soft merino wool and smiled. “Yeah. I do. It looks home-made an’ all too.”

 

“What’s the design?”

 

“Well, Jim, I know you had a troubled childhood, but this sweater happens to be blue – one of the primary colours –”

 

“Don’t be an ass. And blue isn’t a primary colour in the Cassius System.”

 

“Smartass.”

 

“ _You’re_ the smartass.”

 

“True. I think – I think it might be Peach.”

 

“What?”

 

“The design. I think it might be Peach. She was my childhood horse, and I rode her until we pensioned her when I went off to study medicine at Ole’ Miss.”

 

“Peach?”

 

“She was roan colour. And she was sweet.”

 

“And you love peaches.” Something nagged at the back of Leonard’s mind at that, but he let it slide. He was entirely too comfortable (not) cuddling Jim on the sofa.

 

“Where is she now?” Jim asked.

 

“Buried on the family ranch. Underneath the peach tree I climbed to get into Dad’s office when he locked my riding hat away. He used to do that whenever I failed an exam.”

 

“You loved that horse.”

 

“I did. She was my entire childhood.” He looked at Jim. “My Peach.”

 

Jim’s eyes flitted over to the window. Leonard’s followed – they were suspended in space. His head rose and fell with Jim’s breath. “After I drove Frank’s car off the cliff he was furious.” Nausea rose in Leonard’s stomach. “He smacked me around a bit, but he quickly figured that physical violence didn’t work on me. Not anymore.” Leonard laid his cheek on Jim’s chest, tightening his arms around Jim. “So, he grabbed the kitchen knife and walked towards the paddock.”

 

“Jim–”

 

Surprisingly, Jim smiled.

 

“I ran out, screaming, but Wonder – she just knew. She jumped the fence and ran away. She was grazing in Penny Walter’s field when I looked for her the next day, and I asked them if she could stay. I visited her every weekend. We were together for over ten years, and they put her out to pasture her final years away some years ago. She died of old age the day of the Kobayashi Maru.”

 

“I’m sorry, Jim.”

 

“Don’t be. We had a wonderful time together. Smartest damn horse I’ve ever seen. Besides, she had a foal.”

 

“Oh?”

 

“Yeah. ‘Joy’.” Leonard hugged Jim.

 

“That’s appropriate.”

 

“Very,” Jim said, throwing a blanket over them both. They fell asleep like that, Leonard warm between his new jumper and Jim’s steady warmth.

 

~*~

_Starfleet Academy - Stardate 2259.358_

 

“I – I guess I don’t want to be disappointed.”

 

Jim shuffled his feet again. The snow crunched beneath his boots. “Disappointed how?”

 

“Because I know who I want it to be,” _and I think it’ll break my heart when I’m wrong_.

 

“Oh, and who’s that?”

 

“Now that would be telling, wouldn’t it Jim-boy?” His laugh sounded awkward and hung in the air like dust.

 

“C’mon Bones! I’m your best friend, aren’t I?”

 

“Yes Jim. Yes you are.” He hadn’t meant to sound so sincere. His face heated, but when he turned towards Jim, his face was just as red. Jim took a step forward, and Leonard became abruptly aware of how much he wanted it to be Jim. Not that Jim went out of his way for a potential lover. He didn’t need to – he had the entire academy (bar Uhura) salivating after him, and Leonard was just one in a thousand who followed him around, leaving around a constant trail of drool (albeit in a decidedly less pathetic manner, thank you very much). And her he was, constantly turning down gorgeous people in order to keep Leonard company, as if he _preferred_ him. And now Leonard wanted him so much it hurt. Jim coughed and took a step back.

 

“Bones, I – I got you something. I’m sorry, I was hoping we could – I mean, one of them’s an open ticket ‘cause I didn’t want to be presumptuous, but I was kinda hoping – No, ‘case you didn’t figure it out. Never mind, but I hope you’ll enjoy yourself any–”

 

“Jim–”

 

“Even if I’m not there and –”

 

“Jim!” Jim was distressed. He was flushed and fumbling – eyes flitting everywhere, but failing to see the obvious. He was adorable and Leonard’s throat felt tight. _Damn scarf_.

 

“Sorry, Bones. Here,” Jim said as he reached into his duffel coat and pulled out a red package. A red _glittery_ package. With a gold ribbon.

 

Hope slammed into him like a truck, and at once Leonard was breathless. _Jim_.

 

~*~

_USS Enterprise – Stardate 2259.355_

This week, Leonard had dissected the _Enterprise_ further to reveal, in the hangar deck (‘You is important’); Mess hall (‘Honey’); Captain’s quarters (‘Darling’); Rec rom one (‘Love of my life’); The bridge (‘You are my rock’); Observation deck (‘My one true star’); and, today, Rec room two (‘You should smile more. Can I help?’). On his office chair, Leonard had found another present. By this time, it seemed like a bomb had exploded inside the entire _Enterprise,_ filling it with tinsel, real pine needles, holly, _goddamn mistletoe_ , and the perpetual scent of cloves and oranges. It seemed like all the replicators could spew out in the form of coffee these days was some kind of Starbucks 2000 gingerbread lattés, much to Jim’s endless delight and Leonard’s endless horror (“you might call that delightful, Jim, but where I come from we call that how to clog your arteries in three easy steps: get dropped on your head as a child, buy this rubbish, drink it”). Leonard’s coveted Sunday caramel coffee was virtually impossible to get a hold of, but, and he could have kissed him (he was actually really close to doing it too), Jim had reprogrammed the Captain quarter’s replicator to exchange the gingerbread latté with caramel syrup. Why he’d not reprogrammed the one in Leonard’s own quarters was a mystery to him, but he sure spent a lot more time in Jim’s quarters now. Not that he hadn’t been looking for a reason to do so anyway. Shaking his head (he seemed to be doing a lot of that lately), he opened his present.

 

A photo album. It was an old-fashioned photo album with real photos. The cover was of ancient leather, and when Leonard smelled it, memories of Christmas Eves spent in the hayloft on the family farm flooded his mind. The first page held only one line,

 

_Smile_

 

in carefully inked handwriting – as if the person who wrote it had taken extra care to avoid otherwise illegible letters. Has he flipped the pages of the album, he saw pictures upon pictures of himself and various members of the _Enterprise_ ’s crew: his surprise birthday party in sickbay (he had a scowl on his face, but confetti in his hair – in the next picture he was actually smiling and indulging Jim’s attempt to put a cone-shaped paper hat on his head “It’s traditional, Bones!”); Spock drunk on chocolate during shore leave (Leonard grinned evilly); Leonard and Jim asleep on the Uhura’s couch after Rand’s engagement party. On and on they went, until, nearing the end; he was greeted by Joanna’s smiling face. The picture was recent, and not one he had seen before. Her two front teeth were missing, and he searched for the inevitable caption about all she wanted for Christmas. Instead, he found his daughter’s own handwriting, in pink glitter pen,

 

_Merry Christmas Dad! Mom says I can live with you for a whole month when you return from your test-run! I love you – Joanna._

 

Leonard sat there for a while, his thumb stroking over Joanna’s chipmunk cheeks.

 

The last picture of the album was of Leonard and Jim. They were holding each other around the shoulders, grinning from ear to ear. Leonard was looking into the camera. Jim’s eyes were on Leonard – the moment captured and glued down for Leonard’s eyes to feast on.

 

No matter who the damn secret admirer was, Leonard resolved to give that picture a place on his wall.

 

When, the next day, the calendar asked him if he’d ‘figured it out yet?’, Leonard wasn’t sure he wanted to.

 

When the _Enterprise_ docked on the twenty-third, and Leonard opened the calendar in the San Franciscan apartment he shared with Jim, he was brought back to the start,

 

 _I love you_.

 

When he, today, opened the last of the available windows (the heart of the _Enterprise_ ) he was not met with a dramatic reveal of his secret admirer. _Not even a damn clue_. It simply said,

 

_You make me so happy._

 

And that wasn’t a clue. _Was it?_

~*~

_Starfleet Academy - Stardate 2259.358_

 

His steady hands fumbled with the sparkly paper and the damn stuff got everywhere – but he didn’t care. The wrappings gave way to an envelope, addressed to ‘Doctor Leonard H. McCoy, CMO – USS Enterprise, NCC-1701’, and looked clinical in contrast to Jim’s wringing hands. He opened the envelope, revealing –

 

“Risa? You got me two tickets to a damn pleasure planet? Are you trying to tell me something, because if you are then I swear on my Mama’s grave that I’ll –”

 

“No! No no, Bones – wait – let me explain! It’s really not an insult. I – I pulled some strings and booked you –”

 

“A place in a goddamn orgy?”

 

“No – Bones, Risa’s not just a planet of depravity! They have this really cool Holiday Resort right next to the beach. The booing is all-inclusive on food and drinks, and there are excursions to various sites, and did I mention the food is top class? Honestly, it’s meant to be a holiday. Rest and relaxation. For you. I spoke to Chris, and he agreed to let us off duty for two weeks.” Jim took a deep breath. He suddenly looked very young. “That is, I wasn’t sure who you’d like to take. I mean – you can take whoever you want – it doesn’t have to be me – and if it is me I can call the hotel and make them split the double suite into two singles.” A group of carol singers were harmonising _Adeste fideles_ in the background. Their voices warmed the air. Jim squared his shoulders, looked into Leonard’s eyes, and suddenly Leonard _knew_.

 

“It’s you. You’re my secret admirer.”

 

Jim blinked, and smiled ruefully. “Oh really? And what gave me away? The hopeless smiles? My stuttering? Longing glances? The hard-on during my last physical?”

 

“Your wrapping paper.”

 

“My wrapping paper?”

 

“Yes. You’ve filled my December in the black with stardust, Jim.” He took a step closer, noticing for the umpteenth time how his own lips were perfectly aligned with Jim’s. Jim seemed to have an internal battle with himself, and Leonard understood. He was scared too. But he had been the recipient of Jim’s adoring attention for several weeks – Jim didn’t have the knowledge he had. He was a doctor, and he would care for Jim, he thought fiercely. He would care for Jim like no one else had. He cupped Jim’s cheek. “Allow me to relieve your suffering.”

 

Jim smiled tentatively, cupping Leonard’s hand in turn.

 

“Are you misquoting _Pride and Prejudice_ at me, Bones?”

 

Leonard grinned, so absolutely happy.

 

“Yes I am, my little genius.”

 

Jim leaned his head against Leonard’s neck, and Leonard’s arms could finally embrace him in the way they were always meant to.

 

“Your genius, huh?”

 

“Yeah. Mine. My genius. My Captain. My darling, darling man. Problem?” Leonard tilted his head down slightly. He smelled wonderful – like Leonard’s cologne and Jim’s favourite breakfast. Jim looked up at him with his blue, blue eyes. His expression was entirely unguarded.

 

“No Bones. No problem at all.” He bit his lip, and Leonard wanted to _die_. “I – I know the secret admirer thing was a bit sappy and cliché. I just wanted to,” he coughed, “well, court you for a lack of a better word. You deserve it. You do so much for me, Bones, and I wanted to show you how much I appreciate you – no strings attached.” He tilted his head slightly and gave Leonard a full-on Jim Kirk beaming smile. “Only, now I’d very much appreciate it if you tied me up forever.” His smile shifted, and at once Leonard was aware of being the recipient of a look of utter and total adoration.

 

Leonard melted a little.

 

“Oh Jim. I could kiss you.”

 

Jim’s eyes widened slightly and he turned beat red (again). It was really quite attractive.

 

“I –I mean, please do. If you want to. Please.”

 

If Leonard expected Jim’s unrefined and hot-headed behaviour to take over the kiss, he was wrong. The kiss was slow and sweet – one pair of lips greeting the other for the first time, and from their conversation they understood that they loved each other. Caring presses met slightly needy gasps, and one pair sought to assure the other that it was okay - that they had proved their love, and can he please let him return the favour? Jim gave himself over, and the kiss balanced out. Leonard’s hands cupped his cheeks, and Jim’s were buried in Leonard’s hair.

 

An outside onlooker would never have guessed that the couple before them was new. The atmosphere spoke of familiarity. The caresses spoke of respect. When they pulled away and the taller man stroked the blonde’s cheek, the blue-eyed man’s answer was to scatter kisses all over the brunette’s face to the tune of “Bones, Bones, Bones, Bones, Bones.”

If you slowed it down, it sounded like a prayer.


	2. Joyful and Triumphant

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ris’n with healing in His wings  
> Mild he lay His glory by  
> Born that man no more may die

_Suraya Bay, Risa – Stardate 2259.365_

Risa had two moons. That was Leonard’s first observation upon disembarking the death-trap shuttle he’d just spent the better part of three hours on. Jim, darling man that he was, had proven enough of a distraction to keep Leonard from panicking – mostly due to his infernal insistence of playing twenty questions (“you can’t choose the same thing twice, Bones!”) Now they sat on the Risian beach, soaking in the last minutes of sun in the year 2259. The two moons were visible throughout the day, one pale pink, one a musky blue. Leonard slid his hand across the blanket. Jim met him halfway and entwined their fingers.

 

“Jim?”

 

“Hmm?”

 

“I love you.”

 

Jim grinned dorkily and swooped in to smack a kiss on Leonard’s lips.

 

“I love you too.”

 

Leonard smirked.

 

“Jim?”

 

“Yes?”

 

“I love you ardently.”

 

Jim rolled his eyes, but blushed prettily and obligingly kissed him again.

 

“Jim?”

 

“…”

 

Leonard tackled Jim to the sand and lost himself for a few pleasant minutes.

 

~*~

 

They had been on Risa for nearly a week, and Jim enjoyed watching Leonard bask in the sun. Both tanned quite elegantly, and both were having a hard time sticking to their agreement of ‘taking it slow’ and ‘hands above the waistline, Jim’. Having decided to ignore the Risian clubs and night life for their first holiday in favour of exploring their newfound agreement of calling dibs on each other, their days were spent in endless conversation and interchangeable activity and rest. Their nights were spent holding each other and delighting in finding their respective sleeping habits to be extraordinarily compatible (“Can I sleep on the right side, Bones?” “O’course you can darlin’. Can I put my arm–” “Yeah, Bones.” Pause. “You comfy?” “Never been better,”).

 

The Suraya Bay Resort was an elegant solution between the futuristic and timeless. The detail of the building and its rooms was gilded in gold, but the amount of detail was minimalistic. The furniture was an effortless lend of creams and natural forest greens and various woods (they had both swallowed rather loudly upon first seeing the Lohlunat Suit’s King-sized cedar bed – allegedly with Risian foam matrass). By unspoken agreement, Jim and Leonard had breakfast in their room. Every day, Jim would order pancakes, French toast, or waffles, and Leonard would order black coffee, eggs, bacon and fruit. Every day, Jim would change Leonard’s coffee order to include caramel syrup, steal some of his bacon, and comm some of the bridge crew, only to return to Bones, finding half of his pancakes missing (“Bones, where did my pancakes go?” “To a better place, Jim,”). Every day, Leonard would insist that Jim’s pancakes were better, and Jim didn’t think he’d ever blushed so much in his entire life.

 

Tonight, though, Jim had led him out onto the Bay to watch the sunset. It was a truly majestic show. Beams of gold and orange gave way to waves of pink and fuchsia, bathing the two of them in a lover’s light.

 

“Isn’t it beautiful, Bones?”

 

Leonard smiled in remembrance.

 

“Mighty pretty, Jim. Just like you.” That earned him a peck on the cheek, and he was only too happy to peck back.

 

Leonard wrenched his gaze away from Jim’s too-blue eyes at the sound of bells and chimes. A boat had appeared in the Bay, down near the dock. It was truly more of a ship than a boat. The sails seemed to be made of liquid gold, floating in the currents of the air. The body of the ship was probably white, but the light of the two moons cast it in a purple glow.

 

Jim started to rise.

 

“Jim?”

 

“C’mon, Bones.” Leonard obliged him, giving in to Jim’s insistent tugging. He was surprised when Jim led him into the shallows of the water. During daytime, it was a clear blue, but now, it was almost luminescent.

 

“What–”

 

“Algae, Bones.”

 

The water was warm, and the wind smelled sweet. The ocean undulated gently against his skin. The alien lights of the moons and the water made his lover almost ethereal.

 

“Jim?”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“I love you.”

 

“I love you too.”

“Come here.” Jim did.

 

“I adore you.” And he followed that statement with a passionate kiss. Hands clutched and caressed, stomachs and chests rubbing against each other. Jim’s lips were as exotic as the very planet they stood on – his taste just as intoxicating. Jim moaned softly, and Leonard lost all higher brain function.

 

“Bones.”

 

“Hmm?”

 

“Bones!”

 

“Wassat? What’s that sound?”

 

“Look!”

 

Jim was gesturing towards the water. It only came up to their knees, and so their chino shorts were relatively safe. In the water, the fish were –

 

“Humming?”

 

“I think so. Look there!”

 

There were what must have been hundreds of fish swimming about their feet. Many were making playful nips at their leg hairs and bumping against their calves. The fish were in various colours of the rainbow, but the most prevalent colour seemed to be silver. When the fish seemed to calm down, Jim suddenly pulled Leonard towards him and smacked him soundly on the lips. When they pulled away, the fish had started milling around them again, nuzzling them affectionately, and the humming intensified.

 

Jim laughed delightedly. Leonard grinned.

 

A deep bell rung from the boat by the dock. Jim snapped to attention.

 

“C’mon, Bones! We can’t miss it!”

 

“Miss the boat?”

 

“Yeah!” With that, Jim was off – running through the shallow water.

 

“Jim! Why can’t we just run on the docks? It’ll be faster.”

 

“Can’t. You are only allowed to board the ship via the water. You have to wade. It’s tradition.”

 

When they reached _The Persephone_ they were greeted by a team of Risians who fussed with their wet feet and gave them towels. The ship was truly beautiful. The wooden floor was varnished to perfection, and in the calm lilac of the local trees. What looked like a waiter guided them to a table at the back of the deck, giving them an unlimited view of the ocean. As they settled down, Jim took Leonard’s hand again. _The Persephone_ tolled its bells again, and the ship set off at a sedate pace.

 

“They call it the Underworld.”

 

“What?”

 

“The bit of sea beyond the bay. They call it the Underworld.”

 

“Isn’t that a bit ominous?”

 

Jim shook his head and his eyes softened.

 

“Not really. In Greek mythology it’s a place of caring for those beyond life. And a place of steadfastness. The Risians believe that this ship, named after Persephone, Hades’ wife, is blessed to sail this length of the Bay. It’s supposed to be a blessing on couples.”

 

Leonard tugged Jim into his lap, and Jim made himself comfortable. A minute later, a tall Risian appeared, sporting what Leonard believed to be a version of a chef’s hat. Another Risian arrived, pushing a cart of traditional Risian cuisine towards them. Before Leonard could ask what was going to happen, The first Risian tossed some poweder into the sea, and, seconds later, various fish rose out of the ocean and leapt over the width of the boat. Fast as lightning, the second Risian caught four of them with her fist, and what followed was an impressively intricate process of preparing the food. By the end of it, ten minutes later and the Risisans hadn’t even been fazed by Jim’s position in Leonard’s lap (but then again, Leonard supposed they were used to much worse), Leonard and Jim were in awe of the plates they were presented with. The course was an explosion of colour and wonderful smells.

 

Jim looked nervously at Leonard.

 

“Is this okay? I kinda booked us a table without asking you. I wanted it to be a surprise.”

 

“It’s amazing, Jim. You’re amazing.”

 

“Merry Christmas, Bones.”

 

“Back at ya, darling.”

 

They ate one-handed throughout the entire meal, their fingers making love under the table.

 

~*~

 

They walked off the meal along the beach, on their way back to the hotel. What roughly translated into ‘moon bugs’ didn’t do justice to the glowing disco light creatures that lit their path. They seemed curiously attracted to Leonard, and, a couple of meters from the hotel entrance, Jim snorted with laughter as Leonard was utterly covered in the creatures.

 

“Bones?”

 

“Yeah, Jim?”

 

“You’re the light of my life.”

 

“That’s awful. Deplorable. Sit yourself in time out.”

 

The creatures fled as Jim flung his arms around Leonard. Leonard looked down into his eyes and saw the same truth in them as he felt in his thrumming body.

 

Not a word was said until they reached their hotel room.

 

Jim gave a surprised yelp when Leonard picked him up and tackled him onto the bed. The air was filled with giggles and breathless laughter, until the gasps turned breathless for an entirely different reason. Leonard enjoyed Jim’s soft sighs of pleasure as he ran his fingertips all over Jim. He wanted to live it all. He responded to every shift in Jim’s pitch, every squirm of his body. A loud moan cut through the relative soft air, and he was startled to hear it was his own.

 

“C’mon, Bones. Let me hear that again. Please.” Jim’s lips were everywhere. He licked and nipped Leonard’s throat and collarbone. He gave undivided study to his nipples, and his fingers carded through his chest hair with care. He gave another moan as Jim’s hands travelled further south and,

 

“Oh God, Jim. You’re so beautiful.”

 

“Ah. You too – _ah_ – Bones.”

 

It soon became clear that Jim was the more vocal of the two, and Leonard felt the heat of arousal like controlled explosions in his abdomen. Before he knew it, Jim had flipped them around, and had swallowed him down whole.

 

“Jim!”

 

Jim pulled off and licked cheekily on the tip. As he lapped at the head and moved on to press kisses all along the shaft, Leonard carded his hand through Jim’s hair, rejoicing in Jim’s flushed cheeks and adoring eyes. His every sense was _Jim_ , and he soon had to guide Jim’s head back up and devour his lips instead.

 

“Mmm. Bones – _ah_ – _aaaah_! Can you, please –” Jim looked pleadingly into his eyes, and Leonard could only nod. He leapt out of the bed and rushed through his belongings to find the lube. When he returned to the bed, Jim had placed himself in the middle of it, head on the pillows and one leg spread slightly. He caressed Leonard with his eyes, and Leonard was sure that if Jim looked at him with more love he would spontaneously combust. He made his way up the bed, tucking a pillow under Jim’s hips. With steady hands, he nudged Jim’s legs. He almost collapsed then and there when Jim’s legs fell open instantly, willingly. He shuffled into the welcoming space, and cradled Jim in his arms for a moment. Jim’s fingers padded his lips.

 

“Do you know that I love you?”

 

“Yeah.” Jim’s gaze burned.

 

“Can I make love with you?”

 

Jim glowed. “I’m all yours.”

 

Leonard grinned and within minutes Jim was an arching, gasping mess beneath his fingers. Leonard caressed him from the inside out, fingers exploring the deepest depths of his lover, his golden boy. Jim cried out at every twist of his surgical precision, whining for kisses all the while. Leonard knew he’d hit the spot when Jim threw his head back and wailed. He picked up the pace, but continued to hit that spot dead-on, and soon Jim was scrambling at Leonard’s back. With a particularly vicious corkscrew motion, Jim stiffened, and cried out weakly as he came. Leonard continued to move his fingers minutely, leaning forward to press his forehead to Jim’s.

 

“How was that darlin’?”

 

Jim grinned weakly, body shaking slightly.

 

“Amazing, Bones. Just amazing.”

 

Leonard withdrew his fingers and absently wiped them on the sheets. Jim circled his arms around his neck, and kissed him within an inch of his life. His muscles were lithe and strong, his body youthful and, above all, healthy. Leonard savoured the feel of Jim’s breath on his neck, before he enfolded him in his arms and flipped them over. Jim settled comfortably in Leonard’s lap, grinding down. Leonard gave a long groan.

 

“You up for it, Jim?”

 

“Are you kidding me? I’ve wanted this for like forever.”

 

“That’s a long time, kid.”

 

“Yeah. I love you.”

 

Jim shuffled around, before positioning himself.

 

“I love you too.”

 

Jim shifted, and sank down onto him, moaning all the way down. Leonard couldn’t hold back the word that where spilling from his lips, but from Jim’s enthused hip-movements, Leonard figured he was in the clear. Jim supported himself on his shoulders, and Leonard lovingly caressed his hipbones, guiding Jim through the newly familiar motions. Every hitch of breath was a victory, every whimper a triumph. As Leonard brushed against Jim’s prostate, Jim seemed to come alive, and Leonard was pulled into the ancient song and dance.

 

Nothing had ever felt that good. Not losing his virginity. Not marrying Jocelyn. Not becoming CMO of the _Enterprise_. It wasn’t just in the way pleasure shot up his spine. It was in the way they danced together in perfect rhythm. It was in the way the words just spilled from deep inside him, and in the way Jim basked in his sincerity. It was in the way Jim talked, the words he used, the way he said them. It was in Jim’s squirming mewls and the way neither of them cared about the mess afterwards, cuddling close, whispering promises of forever and always amen.

 

~*~

_Suraya Bay, Risa – Stardate 2260.01_

 

The sound of Christmas washed over them. Jim snuggled deeper into Leonard’s chest, his fingers tangling in the hair they found. Leonard adjusted his grip on Jim’s waist, pulling him closer and curling around him.

 

_Hail the heav’n-born Prince of Peace!_

_Hail the Son of Righteousness!_

_Light and life to all he brings_

Leonard kissed Jim on the forehead. Jim snuffled softly and looked up at him.

 

_Ris’n with healing in His wings_

_Mild he lay His glory by_

_Born that man no more may die_

_Born to raise the sons of earth_

_Born to give them second birth_

“I never thanked you properly.”

 

_Hark! The herald angels sing_

_“Glory to the newborn King”_

 

“Yes you did. In every day you live for you. And in every day you live with me.”

 

The playlist shuffled. So did Jim.

 

“Bones?”

 

_Silent night, holy night_

_All is calm, all is bright_

“Yeah?”

 

“I love you. I love you so much.”

 

“Darlin’, I’ll love you ‘till the last star burns out and for eternity after that.”

 

Jim smiled soppily.

 

“Merry Christmas, Bones.”

 

“It’s going to be a Happy New Year, Jim.”

 

_Sleep in heavenly peace_

 

_Sleep in heavenly peace._

_Fin_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's it! 
> 
> So, that was my first NSFW scene in a fic. Well. Hmm. 
> 
> Pfffft, oh what the hell. I hope you guys all enjoyed it, especially my gift recipient captain-cas-of-uss-tardis xxx
> 
> Bunnyouytall XD


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